Review: Amazon's New Kindle Is The Best E-Reader You Can Buy

E-readers have been around long enough now that they've been
nearly perfected by now, but the number one complaint has always
been they're useless in the dark. Tablets have helped, but
they're often too bulky or overpowered for someone who just wants
to read.

Barnes & Noble tried to solve that problem this spring with
it's
backlit Nook reader that let you read in the dark.

But Amazon's new Kindle, called the Paperwhite, is better. It
also has a backlight, but unlike the Nook, the Kindle's light seems to emanate from
within the tablet, not spread over the screen unevenly from the
sides.

The result is brilliant. And with a few caveats, it's the only
e-reader you should consider buying.

Design And Hardware

There's nothing special or alluring about the Paperwhite's
design. It's a black rubber rectangle and that's really it. But
the Kindle still feels sturdy and well-built.

The real focus is on the screen, which is the best I've ever seen
on an e-reader. Text is incredibly crisp and the backlight makes
it a lot easier to read, even in daylight. It really does appear
to glow. Brilliant. I'm typically averse to reading on
touchscreen devices like tablets and smartphones because they
don't feel natural, but the Paperwhite is the perfect compromise.

Like last year's Kindle Touch, the Paperwhite only has one
button for sleep/awake. Everything else is controlled on the
screen. But the screen isn't as responsive as what you're
probably used to on smartphones and tablets. There's an annoying
delay between the time you tap on the screen and the action
happens. It doesn't feel natural.

I've only had the Paperwhite for a few days, so I didn't really
get to put the battery through a thorough test. But like most
e-readers nowadays, you'll be able squeeze several days (or even
weeks) out of a single charge, especially if you limit how often
you use the backlight.

Using It

There's only so much you can do with an e-reader's software, but
Amazon still managed to pack some clever tricks into the
Paperwhite. Like the new Kindle
Fire HD, there's a feature called X-Ray that lets you quickly
jump to passages in a book that mention certain characters and
themes. It's a lot more useful than the old-fashioned search
feature.

X-Ray
on the Kindle Paperwhite.Steve
Kovach, Business Insider

But other than that, everything is pretty standard on the
Paperwhite. You can still adjust font size, style, brightness and
noodle around with other basic settings. Since there aren't any
buttons, it'll take you awhile to get used to all the touch
controls on the Paperwhite's screen. Amazon gives you a quick
tutorial when you first activate the device, but there's a lot to
take in. In short, the screen is divided into fields that perform
tasks like turning the page forwards or backwards or pulling up
the main menu. Once you get the hang of it, you won't have a
problem.

One more thing: As has been the case with all recent Kindle
devices, you're going to see ads on the lock screen. I find them
incredibly annoying, but that's the price you pay to get an
excellent e-reader for just $119. If it really, really bothers
you, Amazon will let you pay an extra $20 when you buy the
Paperwhite to opt out of the ads. It's worth it.

Should You Buy It?

Yes. I'll make this as simple as possible: The Kindle Paperwhite
is the best e-reader available right now. If you don't like
reading on a tablet or smartphone, the Paperwhite is what you
should buy.